Heavenly Sacrifice
by Capricornus152
Summary: Takes place after movie, so maybe AU. AchillesBriseis as always.


Heavenly Sacrifice

_Takes place after the siege of Troy. Just after Paris shoots Achilles._

_I do not own Troy… but I wish I did, so I would make it a happy ending._

The Trojan soldiers filed in as Paris took a screaming Briseis down the passageway.

Achilles lay on the floor and with his remaining life energy he focused on a sheepskin covering a wall. The pure whiteness of it slowly enveloped him and Achilles finally shut his heavy eyelids, as if he were going to sleep.

Achilles opened his eyes and saw a dark green grassy bank. He sat up and found himself on the side of a mountain. He looked over the edge and saw three similar tiers, below him. He glanced upwards and saw another three above. It was unmistakeably, a tall mountain, surrounded by a dark blue choppy sea.

There was a large rock and Achilles crouched on it.

_This definitely isn't the Elysian Fields_, he thought.

Suddenly, a man in a shimmering blue toga with a gold head bracelet and silver sandals with silver wings on the heel. He held a staff in his arms, with two emerald-coloured serpents coiled around it.

"Who are you?" Achilles asked, jumping to his feet.

"Me? I am Hermes. Messenger of the gods. A higher title is 'God of Travel'." The man said, slightly floating above the ground, like a mist.

"Where am I, Hermes?"

"We are currently standing on the fourth tier of Mount Purgatory."

"Why am I not in the Elysian Fields?"

"You were actually meant to go to Tartarus, for you sins. But someone saved you."

"Who?"

Hermes gave the warrior a sardonic look and Achilles realised who the god was referring to.

"Briseis." Achilles whispered.

"Love changed you, Achilles." Hermes said. But Achilles wasn't listening. He sat back down on the rock and slowly, tears began to silently pour down his handsome face. He began to cry; for his darling Briseis. He could have survived the pits of Tartarus, if Briseis had been there.

Paris dragged Briseis along the passageway as a group of soldiers ran down to catch them.

Eventually, Paris and Briseis came out onto a moonlit beach and six burly Trojans moved a heavy boulder in front of the exit, blocking the men in their tracks.

Paris let Briseis down and he went over to Helen. They kissed deeply and Briseis felt a pang of pain in her already broken heart. _I and Achilles kissed like that._

About half an hour later, the Trojan refugees had sent up a camp. A group of men went into the woods nearby with swords and spears and killed ten deer and six boars. They set up a spit and roasted them, while another fire burned, to warm them.

Briseis went down to the shore side and watched the tide come in, gently.

"Briseis?" A voice behind her said. Briseis turned and found herself, face to face, with Paris, her cousin and murderer of her soul mate.

"What?" She said viciously. Paris gingerly sat down next to her in the soft sand. He took a handful and let the grains trail through his slender fingers.

"I know you are made with me. I understand where…" Paris said, before Briseis turned around sharply.

"How can you understand? Is Helen dead? I _loved_ him, Paris. And you, you just…killed him! How can I forgive that!"

Paris was silent.

"I am truly sorry. But permit me one question: Do you really think he loved you? Because to him, you were just another whore…"

There was an almighty crack as Briseis drew back her fist and _punched _Paris, square on the jaw. Paris staggered back, but Briseis' face stayed resolute.

"How dare you? How dare you?" She said, turning her back on him.

Rubbing his bruised jaw and his pride, Paris went back to the campfire, to be with Helen. The meat had been properly cooked and someone had grabbed a few bottles of wine from the royal stocks. They were eating the delicious darkened meat and drinking the wine with relish.

Briseis lay down and stared at the moon for what seemed an eternity until she fell asleep.

Briseis awoke with a start and sat up, only to meet a solemn dark-skinned face. She shuffled back to take it all in.

The man had eyes like black fire and a smooth bald head. He wore robes, so fine they looked like they were made from ebony.

"Who are you?"

"Hades, Lord of the Underworld."

"What are you doing here?"

"Your lover, Achilles." He said. Briseis' mind was suddenly flooded with memories of her and Achilles, kissing, talking, and making love…

"What about him?"

Hades responded by producing from his robes, a glowing ball of black and silver mist. The mist cleared and Briseis saw Achilles weeping on the side of what seemed to be a mountain.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

"Would you do anything to help him?"

"Yes, of course."

"The only way he can be happy, is if…you trade places."

"What is in, I die and he is reborn?"

"No, you go to Tartarus and he goes to the Elysian Fields."

Briseis thought about it. Tartarus was rumoured to be a place of torture and fire. But life without Achilles was like having no soul anyway…

"Okay."

"Okay, you'll do the deal?"

"Yes."

Hades swept his hand to Briseis' throat and immediately Briseis felt a tug on her breath. She briefly saw a painful flash of royal blue light, before the pain ended and she collapsed on the floor, dead.

MOUNT PURGATORY

Achilles looked out over on the dark blue water, while Hermes swept a hand over some grass and flowers bloomed.

Suddenly the sky began to grow lighter and Achilles was suddenly yanked into the air. Hermes followed him easily and they disappeared into the top of the sky.

Achilles found himself looking at a golden field of barley. He turned around and saw a large cluster of oak trees with emerald leaves. A shore line lay nearby, with an enormous golden sandy beach, leading out onto a cobalt sea. Shimmering pebbles and stones lay there, shining brighter than the finest diamond.

There were people milling around in gowns made of the finest silk, in many colours. Their hair and bodies were perfect and expertly treated with their soul.

He glanced down and saw that he was not in his battle armour, but in a handsome dark blue tunic and toga.

Achilles laughed and began to run. He sprinted through the fields and collapsed gently on them. Hermes sat near him, frowning.

"What is wrong, Hermes?"

"Well, it's…"

"What?"

"Briseis. The only reason you got here was that…she sacrificed her soul...to save yours."

Achilles' face dropped like a stone, as did the tears that leaked from his eyes, each as painful as a stab in the heart.

Briseis found herself falling down a fiery pit. She pin-wheeled in the air as she plummeted towards the lava.

Suddenly, a small demon swung on a dark rope, caught her and flung her over to a dark and bloody bank. Briseis struggled to her blistered feet, but the demon slapped her face hard and she went down, clutching at her cheek.

"Listen, you bitch!" The demon sneered. The demon was a metallic green colour with three fiery horns on his broad forehead that blazed a magenta flame. "You are here, for suffering. Let's begin shall we?"

His curled fingers snatched at her dirty blue robe and it came away in his fingers. She used her hands and arms to cover her breasts and her lower regions, but another demon grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her back. It had two faces that were snarling and a boiled purple colour.

Two Faces planted his foot in her backside and knocked her onto another plain of scarlet ground. Three Horns flew over and manacled her to a wall and began to whip her with a long, thin whip. Briseis' mouth was so bruised, she couldn't speak. Even so, her head jerked involuntarily.

Achilles paced up and down the soft fields while Hermes literally hovered.

"There must be something you can do!" Achilles bellowed.

"She made a deal with Hades. That's not my territory."

"Please!" Achilles said, grasping Hermes' blue tunic. Immediately, there was a flash of light and Achilles flew feet back. It hadn't of hurt, of course.

"Well, there is…something I help you with."

"What? What?"

Hermes put in hands together – in a classic prayer gesture – and when they separated, a grey-yellow ball of lightning emerged. Hermes placed it in Achilles' hands and it emerged into a vision of Briseis' torture.

"No!" Achilles cried out and the ball vanished into thin air.

Briseis felt the sting on her body again. She closed her eyes, in order for the next pain, but it never came.

She opened her eyes and saw Three Horns standing still with a mask of pain on his face. A silver sword was protruding from his chest. Three Horns slipped down and Briseis saw the owner of the sword.

It was a woman with beautiful features; skin like porcelain, eyes like the ocean, lips the colour of peaches. She was tall and the sword stayed in her right hand, while a set of golden scales hung precariously in the other.

Briseis bowed her head, but found cool fingers raising her chin. The magnificent woman was smiling.

"Briseis, priestess of Troy, I presume?"

Briseis nodded gently.

"I am Themis, goddess of justice."

That explained the scales.

"What are you doing here?"

"You made the ultimate sacrifice for Achilles. Now, you are getting your just rewards, for this act." Themis said, taking Briseis' hand.

However, out of one of the shadows, Hades appeared, in all his black robes. His hand shot out and grabbed Briseis' other hand.

"Themis, she is mine!" He snarled and an aura of black fire appeared around the Trojan priestess. It felt as though it were burning away her essence, her soul.

"Nay, Hades. The Fates have woven her fate and so it shall be fulfilled!" Themis cried. She raised the sword and struck Hades on his forehead. Hades exploded into flame and a tormented cry was heard.

"Come along, now, child." Themis said, softly, as a mother would speak to her child. Briseis obediently took her hand once more and this time they found themselves undisturbed.

Immediately they were engulfed by silver-blue light and Briseis found herself standing in a huge field. It was golden and nearby was a group of gorgeous trees and a golden beach and a sea like sapphires. She gazed up and saw a marvellous turquoise blue sky. It showed the stars like gems and the Sun and the Moon were both out in perfect union.

She saw that she was wearing a sky blue silk dress, edged with gold thread. Many other people walked and talked and she saw a couple making love. However, they were not ashamed, far from it.

Then Briseis saw something on the horizon - a man.

She ran towards it and Themis followed, as fast as a chased deer.

Achilles walked away from the trees, Hermes trailing ahead, picking flowers and making them into hybrids of species. Roses and irises, tulips and daffodils, holly and cornflowers.

He heard running footsteps behind him, but he was so deep in his state of depression, he didn't respond.

"Leave me alone!" Achilles yelled.

"Should I be afraid of you now?" Briseis said.

Achilles slowly turned his face in disbelief at the soft, beautiful voice. He came face to face with his lover.

Achilles was speechless, but after a second or so, swept her into such an intense hug, the breath was knocked from her lungs. He didn't let go for a minute.

When he did, he still held her close and gazed at her.

She looked more spectacular than ever. Her dark brown hair shimmered in the sun, her chocolate brown eyes shining with tears of happiness, her body flawless like ivory.

"Briseis…please tell me that this is a…" He stammered out between sobs. Briseis answered him by kissing him. Her tongue swept into his mouth and tangled with his. The kiss blew him away, at how forward she was. His senses came alive. His eyes were shut but he could sense everything around them, the blades of knee-length wheat, a slight taste of strawberries in Briseis' mouth, the smell of jasmine nearby in some of the growing bushes, the sound of the wind gently blowing.

They broke off on a soft pop and Achilles held Briseis tightly in his strong, muscular arms.

"Thank you, Briseis. Thank you, thank you, thank you…" He whispered in her shell-like ear.

"Well, I love you." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck, gazing into his azure eyes.

"I love you too, with all my body and soul and mind, Briseis." They both smiled and kissed again.

Away on the side of the field, Themis stood with Hermes.

"We did really well, Themis." Hermes said.

"Yes, we did."

They walked off together.

"So you want to go out for nectar? My treat?" Hermes said, bravely. He always expected the worst and was amazed when Themis kissed his cheek sweetly.

"Of course." She said and then they disappeared, happy with the work that they had just done.

_A bit more angst and spiritual than usual, but of course, a happy ending._

_Thank you for reading this._


End file.
